Expendable
by ForThoseWhoLikeToMoveItMoveIt
Summary: Maurice realizes just how much he actually cares for Mort and Julien. Created by RandomFanfictioner13 and myself.


**Authors Note: An extra-long one for you guys by me and RandomFanfictioner13. I'm planning on making this a three-shot but the next two chapters might be on my own since I'll give Random a break from myself for a while. I'm probably driving her crazy and she wants to finish up 'Penguin Flu' most likely. I dont wanna hog her limited time, ya know? I know those reading peoples want that next chapter of 'Penguin Flu', dont cha? I know I do! XD**

**Review!**

**~Natty.**

* * *

"Goodbye silly penguins! Your beloved king _shall_ return!" King Julien waved to his feathered subjects as he passed by their habitat. The birds having been on top of the ice flow for early morning training. The king's subjects that were actually loyal to him, Maurice and Mort, followed close behind. The aye-aye being reluctant while the mouse lemur was very enthusiastic about going out with his cherished king.

Skipper scoffed, looking up from watching the private do push-ups. "Where do you think you're going?"

"His majesty wants to go for a walk." Maurice said.

Skipper retorted. "You never walk anywhere. You're lazier than Johnson when it came to getting up and getting the remote."

Kowalski shook his head in dismay. "No one was around to get it that day. The poor gull got stuck watching a documentary on _seals_. Found him half eaten on the sofa…" the analyst said solemnly.

"Took a lot of club soda to get out _those_ stains." Skipper rolled his eyes.

"Eh, and you are telling dis to me because of what exactly?" Julien asked.

"BECAUSE OF," Skipper started. "-the fact that it's a mad house beyond those zoo walls, even for us penguins! So you can only imagine what'd it be for a couple of _you three_!"

Kowalski went on. "What Skipper has just harshly said can also be translated into this: We ourselves as trained penguin operatives have a hard time when and if we leave the zoo territory so one can only assume the experience would be less than enjoyable for you lemurs of…_non-_trained backgrounds. I mean…FOR THE LOVE OF NIELS HENRIK DAVID BOHR! …You people don't even _wipe yourselves_!" the analyst screeched.

Private tilted his head looking up in push-up form. "They don't?"

Skipper shook his head, mildly disgusted. "No, they don't!"

Rico scratched his head in confusion and upchucked a roll of TP, glancing it over before tossing it behind him with a satisfied look. Who wiped?

"It's dangerous out there! I recommend you call off this little mission of yours and head right back to your inflatable play toy." Skipper said.

"Yes, I am seeing your point," Julien nodded. "But _you _cannot be telling _me_ what to _do_, so farewell stupid birds, your king _shall_ return!" the king said once more before exiting the zoo.

"The man's a goner." The penguin leader rolled his eyes, ignoring the twinge of worry in his gut and went back to the training of his team. "Alright, where were we again?"

Kowalski walked up with his clipboard, tapping it with his pencil. "Here is the extra weight you called for, Skipper."

"Oh, right. Put it on the private and we'll go from there."

Private looked up from his push-up to see this 'extra weight' that was supposedly going to be put on him and whimpered when he saw Rico hack up a bowling ball. "Sk-Skippah…I don't think I can-"

"Relax, Private. It's not that much extra weight." Skipper reassured, hovering the mass of weight over the young penguin's spine. He dropped it and there was a sickening crunch and then a girlish scream. He cringed along with the analyst, both looking at each other concerned. "Or it's a lot of extra weight. Apparently…"

Rico, with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth got out the duct tape, stripping a piece off he set to work on fixing up the boy. Both Kowalski and Skipper flinched again at the second scream of pain that came next.

Skipper looked to the analyst. "Maybe we should rethink this whole 'extra weight' thing. I've lost a lot of good soldiers to this particular training exercise."

Kowalski nodded in agreement, muttering a blessing to Manfredi and Johnson's souls.

* * *

_~PoM~_

"Maybe we should have listened to the penguins." Maurice said. "We've never been out here by ourselves like this before, and for no real reason."

"Of course dere is being a reason for us being out here!" Julien rolled his eyes as they continued to walk, casually crossing a street while people watching just stared and gasped with wide peculiar eyes.

The aye-aye narrowed his eyes. "Well would ya mind telling me what that reason is so we can accomplish it faster and get the heck on back to the zoo?"

"Oh, I like the zoo!" Mort exclaimed happily. All his favorite things were at the zoo, but his most favorite thing wasn't at the zoo anymore. The feet were out in the city now so he loved the city now because the royal feet were in it. "But I like the city moree!"

"You see? Even Mort is liking it out of de zoo more den you. Be lightening up already, Maurice! You are buzzing my kill as you speak but if you still wish to know why we are even out here in de first place is because I am wanting of something dat I cannot be finding in de zoo."

"And that is?" Maurice questioned.

"I want a fizzity drink and a candied bar, of course! Jeezy, where have you been all de time I have been asking for one?"

Maurice glared back, angry. "I was right there GETTIN it for you, Julien! There are two vending machines RIGHT next to our habitat! One for snacks and one for sodas! I cannot BELIEVE you got us out here for nothing! Even after that warning the penguins gave us!"

"Stop being so ridiculous. It is being completely safe out here in de city. Nothing is going to- GAH a tiny predator! Maurice, make it be getting away from me!" Julien jumped back upon spotting a feline casually passing by.

The right hand man was shoved in front of his king with a groan and eye roll. Maurice chuckled nervously at the shining cat eyes. "Um...uh...n-nice kitty?"

Max the moon cat who wasn't really from the moon looked up at the strange lemurs, looking confused. What was the one with the funny hat pointing at him in terror like that for?

"If you are being hungry you can eat de two smaller and much more yummy lemurs dat aren't being me!" Julien said, earning an eye roll and sigh from his adviser being held in front of him.

"Eat you? Uh, right…well I'm not going to do that..." Max admitted with a shrug of the scrawny shoulders. "But I did eat some fish outta the garbage earlier, wasn't as bad as you'd think! It was something, right?"

The king wasn't really paying attention to the thing's coming out of the cat's mouth but was more interested in its anatomy for some reason. "Uhh you are not being a girl cat right? Should I be checking on dat or are you already knowing?" he asked the weird cat whose gender he was having a bit of trouble figuring out. "And are you sure you are not being a predator disguised as a tinier but being equally vicious predator?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm sure about the answer to both those things. They are yes, by the way, to both…" Max said.

"See?" Maurice motioned to the fur ball. "He's just a cute and innocent little cat! Nothing to be afraid of!"

"Oh yeah?" Max challenged and attempted to act frightening. Frightening really wasn't his thing. "Scratch, snarrrl, hisss! You can't get any more frightening than this!"

Maurice rolled his eyes and said sarcastically. "Oh yeah, total death machine."

Julien wasn't really caring until he saw something metallic hanging from around the cat's neck (it was a tagging collar from the animal control place Max had just slipped out of) and the king gasped, pointing at it. "He is being one of dose secret spy-guys! De ones dat de bossy penguin are always say dat strange people are!"

Max blinked then scoffed. "I'm strange? I'm not meaning offence here, but you should speak for yourself! Really…your voice is a little weird. You should use it a little less than average…"

"Are you knowing Blow-Joe?" Julien exclaimed, demanding answers just like he thought the Skipper penguin would in this situation. "Is he being your bestest-y friend?"

"Why do you think that cat would know Blowhole?" Maurice asked, stepping from in front of the king, his fear of the cat being able to hurt anything having been shoved out the door.

"Guys, you know, the cat you're referring to has a name! …It's Max! I thought I said it…" Max trailed off, trying to remember if he did or not.

"I like Blow-Joe!" Mort popped up, scaring everyone.

"No you don't, Mort!" Maurice scolded.

"Oh, ok. I don't like Blow-Joe."

Julien frowned and thought it was obvious. "Duh! Obvious cyborg metal thingy on de cat's neck, and cyborg other metal thingy on Blow-Joe's fishy face! It is being a close community of freaks, Maurice! Be doing de math like I'm making Mort do! How's dat math going, Mort?"

Mort held up three fingers on each hand. "It's good!"

Julien nodded in satisfaction. "Dere. De math is solid, as is being my most clever reasoning. Dis cat is being a spy by Blow-Joe to be taking all my secrety things!"

Maurice didn't think so. "I doubt it and what secrets do you have any way that would be worth _anything_ to that crazy dolphin?"

Julien gasped over dramatically. "First you are questioning my solid maths and NOW my tippity top secrets! How could you despise your king so! You are saying I am not knowing de maths! Mort! Tell me de maths!"

"Okay!" Mort agreed to do. "One plus one equals triiiangle!"

"De cat works for Blow-Joe." Julien nodded certainly. "Case is being closed."

"I'd say its_ wide_ open, Julien." Maurice shook his head at the king's brain capacity.

"Well then, let us be seeing my maths in action!" The king turned to the cat. "Are you knowing Blow-Joe? Huh? Spy-guy?"

"Errr…no." Max rolled his eyes. "I'm not knowing this guy you keep saying I do."

"See?" Maurice asked, his point made.

"AHA! I was knowing of it de whole time! Mort is liking Blow-Joe and dis cat is not KNOWING Blow-Joe because MAURICE is secreteh-ly worshiping de fishy face!" Julien accused. "AREN'T YOU MAURICE? ANSWER YOUR KING'S WILD ACCUSATIONS!"

"What? I would never do that! Why would I like that Blowhole dude?" Maurice exclaimed in distaste.

"Den why aren't you loving me like you are so totally loving him right now!" the king sobbed.

Max blinked and began to back away from the lemur trio, this being too weird even for him. "Yeah…I'm just gonna go now…hoping to not be seeing you around anytime soon…"

King Julien took no notice of the cat's departure. "Whatever. At least MORT is still loyal to me. Isn't dat right, Mort? Come and hug your king to be making Maurice jealous of how much I am pretending to be so completely loving you!" Julien kneeled down to the mouse lemur with outstretched arms.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The king's love is mine foreeever!" Mort cried, jumping into his king's arms.

"Are you just exploding with de jealousness now or what?" the king shot a smug look to Maurice as he let Mort cuddle up to his chest.

Maurice smirked, folding his arms. "Nope! Not at all."

"I demand dat you are to be giving your king a proper hugging!" Julien ordered angrily. "On with it, Maurice! Be showing de world how much you love your king!"

Maurice rolled his eyes and hugged Julien, knowing the matter wouldn't be resolved unless he did.

"Tell me you are wanting me..." the king whispered seductively in the adviser's ear.

Maurice was entirely freaked now. That was just plain creepy! Why would Julien ever… He was just confused now, so he took a risk. "Um, n-no thanks…"

"Eh okay, be suiting yourself."

Maurice internally sighed, glad he didn't mean it. Sometimes the king just said things just to say them with no real meaning behind it whatsoever. This was one of the times he was relieved it was one of those times.

The king looked down at the lump of snuggling fur still attached to his person. He ripped Mort off of him and tossed him into Maurice's arms. "Take care of dat stupid thing, okay? It is too much work."

Maurice rolled his eyes and set Mort on the ground. He should have expected this, but then again why should he not have? He was the one who both looked after and took care of these two lemur's sorry butts. He'd had to ever since back on Madagascar. The only thing was and this may be ironic but New York was more dangerous for the king than their old wilderness country. At least back on Madagascar he didn't have to watch them as closely since it was just jungle. Nice and safe jungle. All he had to do was make sure a Foosa didn't get hold of them. Here in New York City there were all types of dangers ranging from big and small from every place possible. There were speeding cars, and falcons, and things that could be blown up, and just a bunch of trouble two young lemurs like Mort and Julien could find themselves getting into. His job was easier back on that island, he hated to admit it.

"I don't know how we are dealing with it all de time, really! It is obvious dat you should have tried harder to be keeping it back where it came from. Why did you not slam de plane door in his face harder? Den maybe Mort would have got de message."

"What message?" Mort asked.

"Mort, shut up okay?"

"Okay."

"Well what now since you got us all the way out here?" Maurice questioned

"Eh…yes right now I am wondering where all de way out here _is_ actually..." Julien stopped walking and was nearly run over by a speeding car that got too close to the sidewalk. "Aye watch it buddy! Ya nearly hit a king over here!"

"Uh, Julien? I think we wandered too far from the zoo." Maurice said.

"Nonsense Maurice! We are-" the king looked around at the big buildings and street signs he couldn't read. What was that on there, a dollar sign? Sometimes he wished his adviser could read. It would have gotten them out of a lot of stuff before. "Eh, I am not knowing where we are as of now."

"We're losted!" Mort exclaimed.

Maurice shook his head. "Sigh, sometimes ya just wish ya had some help."

"What are you even saying Maurice? OF COURSE I am having help... Now you and Mort go find de zoo again while I get me a yummy candied bar." the king licked his lips as he spotted a nearby street vendor with a bunch of goodies on his cart. The merchandise covering the man's face but he had a really thick build.

The right hand man had a feeling of impending doom. "Wait, your majesty-!" But the king was long gone. "Come on Mort!" Maurice cried to the mouse lemur. "We've gotta go save Julian!"

"Yay! A mission like the penguins!"

Julien was already leaping up onto the stand demanding immediate service. "Yes, hello, I am needing de services! I want a candied bar, and a fizzity drink, and eh, do you by chance know a place where I can be getting a massage? I am feeling worn out and so very stiff lately..."

The vendor sniffed the air and in a deep voice observed his findings of the air. "Katta lemur." the man stated. "Native to Madagascar." Officer X, now Street Vendor-X, stuck his head out through the hanging cotton candy bags. X pulled on the lemur king's tail.

"Hey!" Julien cried, glaring as the large hand yanked his tail, snapping it back like a rubber band as the man let go.

"Ring-tailed." Officer X noted, smelling two other distinct scents that brought him to the two other lemurs standing down on the sidewalk. "Aye-aye and mouse. Quite the family reunion but I'm afraid your application to the invitation to this gathering's been X-closed."

Mort blinked at the weird man and started laughing at the pun. "Oh it's so funny because it's tic tac toe!"

"I don't think he's gonna play with us, Mort..." Maurice said, pulling the mouse lemur and him to back away cautiously.

"Anyway, where is my candied bar and fizzity drink? I am wasting away into nothingness over here!" Julien complained.

'I was afraid of this!' Maurice cried in his thoughts. "Um... Julien? I think we need to be heading home… NOW!"

The aye-aye started pulling the king away by his arm, ignoring Julien's protests.

"But I didn't get my mass-age!"

"A chase it is." Officer X smirked in amusement before shoving aside his vending cart and running after the three lemurs

"Where's Skipper when ya need him?" Maurice questioned, running even faster now that he saw the net the insane ex-officer held in his hand.

"Maurice, don't be running so fast! I can't keep up like this!" Julien huffed. "I demand you run slower to match your king's less physical capabilities!"

"My feet are OUCHIE!" Mort squealed, being pulled along by the adviser down the streets as well.

Maurice knew they needed a plan if they were going to escape X. He looked all around, trying to find something-anything!-yet he couldn't see a thing!

"Maurice, my royal feet! Please stop!"

The adviser spun the corner and quickly found an alleyway. It would have to do. He skid to a stop and shoved Mort and Julian in there.

X rounded the corner and spotted Maurice. "I've smelled you from a mile away, lemur!" And the lemur led him away from the other two.

"Maurice!" Julien shouted in alarm.

"Are we all playing tag now? Why can't we play?" Mort asked.

"No, you stupid Mort! Do you not see what Maurice has just done?" the king exclaimed, voice breaking as he got emotional. "He is being a sacrific-ial guy and giving himself away proudly for his king! I just don't know why he did not choose to sacrifice you along with him. Team efforts are always de efforts dat shall be remembered most... but sometimes dese things happen dis way...So start up de eulogy and funeral in Maurice's honor. You are being de new adviser."

"Can my name be Maurice now?"

"Eh okay. Maurice is not needing his name anymore anyways. He wouldn't mind if you keep it I don't think- WAIT! Oh no!" Julien realized something horrible, looking off in the direction the ex-officer went after Maurice in. This was the worst thing that could happen! How could he not have realized it sooner? "Maurice knows how to work my boomy-box! How will de booty shake without him to turn on my music?!"

"I don't know." Mort shrugged and pointed as he saw the adviser run by with the officer right on his tail. "Oh, I know! We can ask Maurice how!"

"What a good new adviser you are going to be, Mort. Dat is a good plan. Now after dem! Don't let my music get away!" King Julien shouted and the two lemurs ran after them.

The ring-tail and the mouse lemur were able to climb to the top of a fire escape to the rooftops of the many apartment buildings in the city. They just so happened to be above the street Maurice and Officer X were about to run down.

"Ready Mort, you know what to do!" Julien ordered.

Mort nodded and lifted up the potted plants over his head, ready to throw them down. Soon the enemy and non-expendable yet lemur were in view and coming up fast.

"Now! Be throwing dem at his head! Save de music Mort, save it!"

"The royal booty won't be suppressed by YOU!" Mort exclaimed down at the officer as he threw down his plant pot, dirt and all. It made a direct hit to the African American's head, causing the man to pause and look up.

Maurice did the same in confusion. "Huh?"

"We're helping!" The mouse lemur cried down.

"Well I'll be!" Maurice mumbled. He didn't expect them to come back for him at all!

"Let my subject GO! Weird, vendoring-guy!" Julien shouted and threw down another potted plant.

Officer X growled and got to the fire escape nearby, climbing it to get to the plant flinging lemurs up on the roof. The throwers didn't notice this as they continued to laugh and throw their ammo, the officer getting closer and closer to reaching them.

"Julien! Mort! LOOK OUT!" Maurice cried, clambering up the ladder behind X, but it was clear he couldn't make it in time.

Julien and Mort noticed it too late and were now being backed to the roof ledge.

"Are we it now?" Mort asked and was glared at by the lemur king.

The net was thrown over them but the force of it made them stumble back, too far and over the edge. The officer who wasn't expecting this, allowed the rope to the net to slip from his grasp.

"NOOO!" Maurice cried, now tumbling down the ladder in a rush, hoping that someway, somehow, the king and mouse lemur were alive.

The rope had snagged on the bar of the fire escape and the two lemurs were left unharmed, hanging about a foot off the ground.

Julien scowled at the little mouse lemur beside him in the net. "This is being YOUR fault, stinky Mort! Why are _you_ not de one dat knows how to work my boomy-box!"

Yep, they were fine.

Maurice, still being pretty high up on the ladder, sighed in relief and jumped to the hung net. "Don't worry. I'll get you outta here!"

They were free in moments, throwing the remainder of the nets on the ground. Then came the problem of X coming down the ladder too.

"Let's go!" Maurice cried.

"He's it!" Mort exclaimed as he was dragged into running again.

"Yeah, and we can't get caught at all costs!" Maurice huffed out.

"Maurice, wait!" Julien cried, out of breath.

The lemur in question grimaced. He knew they couldn't go on for long. That's when he saw the park and got an idea. "Follow me!" And he raced for the trees.

"M-Maurice!" The king tried again to shout, but he was only met with more running. They were just moments from the trees when Julien's ankle twisted the wrong way when he stepped down, the ring-tail losing grip on his adviser's hand as he tumbled, skinning his knee. "Maurice!"

"Julien!" Maurice skid to a stop. He had no clue what to do. He knew he had to go back and help the lemur, but how to go at it was his worry. Without much more thought, Maurice called to Mort, "Mort! Get the penguins!" Then he turned back for his king, X being paces away.

The king looked up to see his adviser grabbing his hands to try to pull him up. "Maurice…"

"I gotcha, your majesty..."

In that same instant something heavy stamped down on his ringed-tail and dragged him backwards, it being Officer X's foot.

"Look at what we have here. Stopping to help the fallen. I smell penguin on you...I know you can lead me to the birds that ruined my career. I was the best on the animal force, until those PENGUINS came along… They took everything. Now I'll have to return the favor to right the wrongs they've done upon me!"

"Maurice! AH! He is HURTING me!" Julien shouted.

"I know." Maurice spoke, looking into his kings eyes. "I'll get you outta here. You just have to trust me on this one. Think you can still run?"

"Eh, yes...but I don't really want to- AAH! MAURICE, HE IS STEPPING ON MY TAIL, MAURICE! Make him stop dat!" Julien begged.

"It's alright!" He gave the monarch's paw a gentle squeeze. "As I said, you've gotta trust me. Now, when he steps off of your tail, go somewhere safe. Anywhere but the zoo! No matter what happens, keep yourself safe and don't lead him to the penguins!"

The king groaned, feeling his tail turn numb with agony and loss of circulation. "But- ugh!...I thought you told Mort to be GETTING de penguins!" Julien cried and felt his eyes tear up as he hiccuped. "M-my tail...it does not have FEELINGS anymore!"

"I have a plan but it ain't pretty." Maurice chuckled to himself. "Just make sure you do as I said." Then he leaned in to the trapped one's perky ear. "I'll see you later. Promise." Then, without warning, he leaped up to X's face.

The king gasped as the weight from his tail was lifted and Maurice was latched onto the officer guy. In shock Julien backed away before scampering off.

X yelled and fought his hardest, yanking to try and get off the lemur blocking his face that just wouldn't for the life of anything let go. Finally the obviously losing battle was won and Maurice was flung against the tree hard, momentarily blacking out.

* * *

_~PoM~_

Mort huffed as he finally made it through the zoo gates. Luckily for him he spotted the four birds right away outside of their habitat. He ran to them happily. "Oh, penguins! I found you! You're it!"

"We're...what?" Skipper asked, raising an eyebrow. "And where are those other two lemurs?"

Mort giggled. "They were hiding from the it with me!"

Private blinked. "The…it?"

"Yeah! The big tall man outside the zoo!"

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly did this tall man look like?"

"He was this taaaaaaaaaallllllll guy! He was big and mean and-"

"Kowalski, analysis." Skipper interrupted.

"Well sir, there are at least 7,383 in the US alone that could match that description." Kowalski replied.

Skipper nodded and bent down to the mouse lemur. "And just what was this guy doing the last time you saw him?"

"He was stepping on our king! And then…Maurice told me to come and find you! You'd know what to do to save King Julien! Then Maurice went back to help, then, then I ran all the way here and, and you got to save King Julien because- mmf!"

"Sad eyes! Calm down! Tell us what happened!" Skipper clamped his flippers over the mouse lemur's mouth as Mort mumbled into it, most likely continuing his long squeaky story.

"I don't like this, Skippah. It sounds like King Julien's in some real trouble out there." Private said.

"PENGUINS!" Julien shouted, now running or more like limping into the zoo to them.

Kowalski blinked. "Or he's right there coming towards us and will be here before I finish this sent-"

"Penguins!" the king huffed, stumbling on his knees in front of them. "Please be HELPING me!"

Skipper gently stood him up. "What happened out there Ring-tail?"

"You have to be going back for Maurice! He is being in danger!" the king cried.

Kowalski examined the ringed tail in his flippers and glanced over the lemur's bruised leg. "He's injured, Skipper."

The leader nodded towards his second-in-command then turned back to the king. "Julien, do you know who was chasing the three of you?"

"I will never be forgetting! It was dis big mean tall guy! Stupid no hair! Look at what he has done to my royal ringed-tail!"

Skipper started getting a bit of the picture. "Did this guy have any hair at all?"

"Yeah! On his meany FACE!" Julien glared, wanting to go seriously beat up that guy for messing with his kingdom.

"Was it dark hair? And what about his skin?"

"Yes, yes! It was dat guy! He says he is wanting you penguins! He is having Maurice right now!"

"Officer X!" Private gasped.

"And he would not be giving me my fizzity drink or de candy cotton!" the king complained.

"A street vendor! That must be his new occupation!" Kowalski exclaimed.

"_Street Vendor X_…" Skipper said in distaste. He looked to the lemur king. "Where are they, Ring-tail?"

"In de park! Please be saving my subject!"

"Move out, men! We got a lemur to save!" The leader said and the birds started to go off.

"Wait! Be letting me be coming with you!" Julien begged.

"Request denied! Absolutely not!" Skipper shook his head. "No civilians on missions!"

"What Skippah means is, you're hurt, Julien." Private said with ease, gently holding the king's hands in his flippers and pushing him to sit down. "It's best you should stay here until it's safe. We'll be back with Maurice before you know it."

The young penguin nodded and belly slid away with the other birds in direction of the park.

King Julien watched them go but tried to stand as soon as they had gone. He wanted to help too somehow. He couldn't just sit and do nothing like this. But the ring-tail didn't have a choice, his weakened body already making it for him. He slumped back down, feeling the ache in his leg get worse when moving it. There wasn't anything he could do, he thought as he frowned to Mort. They could do nothing. Nothing but wait and hope to the Sky Spirits that Maurice would be alright without them. They knew for a fact they wouldn't have been, if _he_ hadn't been there...

* * *

_~PoM~_

In the meantime, Maurice had managed to climb the tree he had hit his head on. He began hopping around on the branches, trying to distract X until the penguins could arrive. That is, if they were even coming at all.

"Here lemur, lemur." Street-Vendor-Officer-X grunted as he struggled to reach up and grab the shifty aye-aye. "I'd say it's about time we END this."

"My thoughts exactly!" Skipper replied crossly.

Maurice panted and stopped jumping from branch to branch. He heaved a sigh as he spotted the penguins coming to his rescue. "Man am I glad to see you guys!"

"The feeling is mutual, mammal. Now sit tight and we'll have this little rodeo tied up in no time." Skipper said, crossing his flippers over his chest in a battle starting stance, crouching and launching himself at the ex-officer with a battle cry.

"Woo, thanks Skipper…" Maurice sighed as the violent fight went on and dust flew under the tree and out of sight.

"Hi Maurice!" Private waved.

Kowalski helped the gray lemur out of the tree and led him away from the fight for safety precautions.

Maurice nodded at the greeting but was distractedly looking around. "Hey, and it's like I said it's great to see you, but right now I really gotta find-"

"Mort and Julien are safe and sound back at the zoo." Kowalski told him, knowing he was worried about their whereabouts.

Maurice let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding that long. It felt like he didn't breath since the second he found out they were in danger. "They're alright?"

"Yes, they're both fine." The analyst repeated.

"That's good." Maurice sighed once again, and then realized something. "You said Julien was at the zoo?"

"Yes..." Kowalski drew out, wondering where this was going.

"How'd he get there?"

"He came in after Mort. Why?"

"I told him not to do that in case X trailed him!" Maurice let out a sigh. "Oh well. At least he's safe. I'm gonna go take care of them while you guys finish up here. It looks like you got it covered…" the gray lemur winced as he glanced at Skipper performing a move on the officer that just couldn't be legal.

Kowalski agreed that that was probably best and watched the adviser go. "Ah, Julien _might_ want to keep off the bouncing and/or dancing for a few days for proper healing of the- aaaand he's gone." the analyst sighed. No one listened to the smart guys…

"Bye Maurice!" Private waved

"HOOHA, GET SOME!" They heard their leader cry in the fight and then more cartoonish fighting sounds.

"WOOHOO!" Rico shouted, jumping in the dog pile.

Kowalski chuckled with an eye roll. "Good ol' Rico..."

* * *

_~PoM~_

Maurice smiled to himself and pat the sleeping Mort on the head. The mouse lemur being curled up on the bouncy under a blanket provided by the penguins. It had been a long and traumatizing day. That much had been clear to the birds even though they hadn't been there, they stilled helped out the best they could with the aftermath. For that much the adviser had been thankful. They patched up the king nicely, even gave him the soda and candy bar he'd wanted to begin with.

Julien lay to the other side of Mort, ringed tail bandaged tight and a patching over his knee from where he fell, also with his own small blanket.

The two lemurs were sleeping fine and soundly after what had happened. If only Maurice could say the same for himself. He was still a bit shaken over it all.

Then again, who wouldn't be? Any one of them could have been severely injured in the fight for their lives earlier that day! Maurice kept fearing that if he closed his eyes, he might just wake up without them there.

The adviser decided he needed a small walk.

So he got up and started for the exit, only to be shocked by the sight of an animal on the clock tower. It was easily identifiable as one of the penguins. He just wasn't sure which one.

As he got closer, he could tell it wasn't Rico, for there was no silhouette of a mohawk on his head. It couldn't have been Kowalski, since the figure was too short.

Maurice decided the best way to find out who it was. It would be to climb up and see!

So he bound from platform to platform, and up to the top. The penguin must have heard the slight thump, since he spun around.

It was Skipper.

"It was a brave thing you did for your fellow lemurs." the leader said almost immediately after seeing it was the aye-aye. "Ring-tail told us what happened while we were patching up him and Sad Eyes." Skipper added after another moment to clear up how he'd known in the first place. "I have to say I'm impressed."

Maurice was awestruck. He couldn't believe he'd impressed Skipper of all beings! That was a feet he dubbed impossible years ago, yet here he was, hearing it from the leader himself.

"To be honest," Maurice began. "It was just the way I imagined the case scenario at first. I simply thought back to Madagascar, when the fossa would attack us." There was a small chuckle from the lemur. "I guess you could say it was a natural instinct. However, when he caught Julian, well, I knew that, unlike a fossa, I had a chance to go back and save him instead of only caring for my own life. So, that's what I did. Like I said," there was a slight shrug. "Natural instinct. That's all."

"Natural instinct," the penguin leader repeated incredulously. "To protect Ring-tail and Sad Eyes?"

It didn't look like he believed such a thing. Whenever he or his team had saved Julien before was because they had to reluctantly, not because they really wanted and it had nothing to do with any instinct. So this idea perplexed Skipper.

"Well, yea! Other times you've seen me rescuing him were times I didn't want to since he was being over dramatic. This time, however, he could have been seriously hurt, and I knew that."

"Okay…but why? To my understanding and to everyone else's it's obvious the guy treats you like nothing short of some dirt for stepping." the leader shrugged. "Sad Eye's I can understand, but Ring-tail? Wouldn't your life be easier if you just casually looked the other way today? Pull the old, you saw nothing and walked away? Not that I'm one to leave a man behind... With only one and a half exceptions on that. Johnson, now Johnson I left behind, but I only left behind half of Manfredi. And that's because I had to!"

"Well, heh," Maurice started sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "It may not seem like I particularly like him, but I'd rescue him any day. I'm not one to turn someone away just because they're so annoying. I wasn't raised that way."

"Alright, I get it." Skipper put up his flippers in surrender. He knew what was his place to pry and what wasn't. "I'm also not one to question you lemurs and your business. How are they anyway, after everything? And you? How're you holding up, soldier?"

"They both seem to be doing fine, and I've been better and worse."

"What's eatin' ya?" The penguin asked.

Maurice gave a sad sounding sigh. "I guess that, well, after today, I realized how important the two of them were to me. Without them, I'd kinda be nothing."

Skipper nodded for the gray lemur to go on, listening intently.

"I couldn't let anything happen to them, you know? "

"Not your fault what happened. X, that control MANIAC goes after us all." The leader looked left and right as if the officer would pop out of nowhere. Then added after looking back, "Mainly us. Sorry we got you into this. He was after us in the first place."

"Thanks for the help again, Skipper."

"It's our job and we weren't there. It's the least we could do in the end to help out the aftermath."

"It's my job to protect them though I guess I never really knew what I signed up for until long after we left Madagascar." Maurice chuckled, sighing. "I'm just scared to lose them. They're my family now that we're not on the island anymore, and actually you and your guys are too. You're all not as psychotic as I thought."

The penguin leader nodded in thanks with a small and honored quirk of beak. "I'll tell them you think so. Tell Ring-tail he'll be on his feet partying again in no time."

"Oh, he's bound to be up and trying by tomorrow."

"Probably." Skipper scoffed because that would be just like the lemur king to do so. "Hey, take care of those two."

Maurice hopped down one of the crevices on the clock tower walls. He looked back with a small tug of the mouth and laughed. "I will. Night, Skipper."

Skipper gave a blunt nod before turning back to the moonlight.

Maurice couldn't help the small smile on his face as he slipped into the shadows and sauntered away from where the leader was perched. He had to give the bird props; how he managed to handle protecting was beyond him! To be honest, it seemed like a tough thing to do in the eyes of the small grey mammal. He himself had trouble watching just the king and mouse lemur but those psychoti- those _penguins_, watched over everything.

One might need help with a job like that occasionally but the aye-aye lemur had decided that this was both his first and last time battling someone like X for a while. Maybe he'd have to do it again in the future, whatever it held for him and he really wouldn't mind helping out the penguins from time to time but he knew what came first, or who in this matter.

He smiled upon seeing the familiar walls of the habitat he shared. This adventure had showed him many things. Mostly how important the beings around you are. The old saying was true; You never know what you have until it's gone.

Things could have been so much different today. He could have returned back to the habitat alone, without Mort or Julien and…he didn't think he could ever handle that.


End file.
